


A Very Merry Murry Christmas

by MayContainBlueberries



Category: Kairos (O'Keefe) Series - Madeleine L'Engle
Genre: Anxiety, Christmas, Family, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-24
Updated: 2014-12-24
Packaged: 2018-03-03 07:42:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2843408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MayContainBlueberries/pseuds/MayContainBlueberries
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Meg is excited for the Murry's first Christmas since father has returned. But father gets called away on work, and it looks like he won't be home in time for Christmas. Will the happy holiday be ruined?</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Very Merry Murry Christmas

It’s five days before Christmas and Meg gets home from the last day of school in a flurry of excitement and relief. Two weeks without school, without the teachers’ snide remarks and her classmates murmured comments and getting told off and laughed at and and – but she doesn’t need to think about any of that because it is winter break and in five days it will be Christmas and Father is back and they’ll all be together as a family and it couldn’t be any more perfect.

Charles Wallace is waiting for her in the pantry holding a brown paper bag and dressed in his outdoor clothes.

“We’re going to build a snow something, okay?” he says.

Meg takes the paper bag and peeks in. An apple and two Christmas cookies.

“A snow _something_?” She asks.

“Well, I don’t know what to build yet. I’m torn between your classic frosty or a Seraph. They have three sets of wings you know. It’d be an interesting challenge.”

After they’ve built their snow something (it was a snowman – the seraph’s wings kept falling off) and warmed up with cocoa in front of the fire, after dinner and Sandy and Dennys proudly showing off the beeswax Christmas candles they’d made in school, after Charles Wallace and the twins are in bed, and Meg is yawning in front of the fire, thinking she should go to bed but too cozy to move, when the house is still and warm and everything is perfect – the phone rings. Mother answers after the first ring. Her face tightens as she listens.

“Alex,” she says, and holds the phone out to her husband.

Meg perks up in her chair. Fortinbras whimpers.

When father hangs up, his brow is wrinkled and Meg gets a feeling in her stomach like a bottomless pit.

“I have to go to Huston,” he says, softly.

“How long?” mother asks.

“A few days, hopefully.” He looks at Meg. “Don’t worry Megaparsec.  I’ll be home for Christmas.”

Meg tries for a smile, but probably just grimaces.

Father hugs her tight, goes up to kiss Charles Wallace and the twins, and is out the door quick as thinking.

“Best get to bed, Meglet,” mother says. “We’re getting a tree tomorrow and there’s still lots of wrapping for you to help with…”

Meg knows she’s trying to act normally but she also knows that mother feels the same way – that every time father gets called away there’s that little voice saying _but what if he doesn’t come back. We just got him back. What if we lose him again?_

_~~~_

It is two days before Christmas and father is not back. He called last night, saying he was still needed in Huston, but he’d be home Christmas eve, count on it. Meg isn’t sure though, and even though she knows it’s just a day she can’t help but think, _it’s not fair for father to be away for Christmas_. Calvin comes over for dinner that night, and after dinner they finish up the Christmas baking – shortbread and rum balls and gingerbread men. Sandy and Dennys sing off tune Christmas carols and eat scoops of icing and candy buttons while mother isn’t looking. Charles Wallace sits at the table with the cookbook and a mixing bowl, trying to puzzle out the incredibly detailed shortbread recipe. (Father has been teaching him to read and Charles, unsurprisingly, has taken to it like a fish to water.) Meg and Calvin roll up the rum balls and place them on a cookie sheet.

“I wish father would just tell the government or whoever that he has to come home for Christmas,” Meg complains to Calvin.

He licks some batter meditatively off his finger, “He said he’d be home tomorrow, didn’t he?”

“Yes but what if he isn’t he always says it’ll just be a few days but it’s always longer and…”

Calvin laughs gently.

“What?” Meg snaps.

“It’ll all be fine Meg,” Calvin brushes a finger along her brow, leaving a gritty streak of batter there, “You’re getting yourself all worked up over nothing.”

Meg pushes away from Calvin and storms upstairs. When Charles Wallace comes in later, Meg is absently stroking the kitten, staring out at the moonlit snow.

“He didn’t mean it like that,” Charles Wallace says, without preamble.

“Does he think I _want_ to worry!?” Meg cries. “I know, I know in one part of me that of course father isn’t going to disappear again, and with all likelihood he will be home for Christmas, but I try to _tell_ myself that and I can’t believe it!”

Charles Wallace doesn’t say anything.

“I just hate it when people assume I can just _stop worrying_!” She adds.

“I think a lot of people can,” Charles Wallace says, slowly. “I think probably other people know how to control emotions. And that’s why they recommend it to you.”

“Well, they still shouldn’t,” Meg snaps.

~~~

It is Christmas Eve and father isn’t home.

“We’ve got to get to church soon,” mother says. “Father will know where to find us.”

Meg wants to stay home, but as soon as she steps into the church, with its licker candle light and stained glass windows she is glad she didn’t. Until she sees Calvin.

“Hello Calvin,” mother says. “Is the rest of your family here?”

Calvin shuffles his feet, “No.” he says awkwardly.

“Sit with us then,” mother offers.

“Sure Doctor Murry. Thanks.” Calving turns to Meg. “Can I talk to you for a sec?”

Meg shrugs, and Calvin draws her off a little ways.

“Meg, I don’t know what I said to make you so upset but I’d like to know so I can do better.”

“You laughed at me,” Meg mumbles. “It’s not funny. It doesn’t feel funny to be so worried all the time.”

Calvin looks at her for a moment, “I was trying to make you feel better. To show you that you don’t need to worry.”

“I can’t just stop worrying,” Meg said grumpily.

“Okay. I get that it’s irrational. But I want to try to help, okay?”

“Don’t laugh at me then.”

“Okay. That was stupid of me. I’m sorry.”

Meg harrumphs.

“Hey Meg, I don’t want to make you any more upset when your already anxious,” Calvin says. “I’m not gonna laugh at you again. And I’ll try to help you as best as I can. Okay?”

“Okay,” Meg grabs his hand and squeezes it. “Thank you.”

 

When they get home, father is still not back. Charles Wallace is nearly asleep, and mother carries him up and tucks him into bed.

When she comes back down, Meg is sitting in front of the fire, mostly just embers.

“Go to bed Megatron,” mother says.

Meg glares at her mother, then, against her will, yawns. Mother brushes a hand through Meg’s hair.

“Ah Meglet. Everything will look brighter tomorrow.”

And Meg can’t help but believe her.

~~~

It is 4:30 on Christmas Morning and Meg is woken by Fort barking. It’s not his ‘Alert!’ bark, it’s his ‘You are friend can we play!?’ bark. Meg grabs her glasses and tiptoes downstairs. The twins and Charles Wallace seem to still be fast asleep, and Meg marvels at their ability to sleep so deeply. 

There are presents all under the Christmas tree, and their stockings are all bulging. Meg tiptoes into the kitchen. The door to mother’s lab is open, and through it Meg can see two figures.

She almost cries out in joy. There is father, embracing mother, well and here and home, home for Christmas.  

She must have made some sound, because father looks up and grins when he sees her.

“Merry Christmas, Meg.” He says.

She runs to him.


End file.
